Dodgers Change Shohei Ohtani’s Schedule, Announce He’ll Now Pitch Against Padres

The San Diego Padres' offense will face Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher this weekend in a surprise twist.

The Dodgers announced that Ohtani, who was slated to start on Wednesday against the Athletics, will instead start on Friday against the Padres.

Shohei Ohtani will not start tomorrow against the A’s and will pitch Friday against the Padres.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 30, 2026

Friday will be the second of a four-game series between the Padres and Dodgers in Los Angeles. Michael King is currently expected to pitch that contest against Ohtani.

Wednesday's game for the Dodgers will be a bullpen game. On Thursday in the series opener against the Padres, the team is expected to start right-hander Roki Sasaki.

It's currently unclear why Ohtani's start was pushed back from Wednesday to Friday.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently that the knee injury Ohtani suffered a couple weeks ago is still not fully healed. It's possible that played into the decision.

“I don’t think he’s 100% with his knee," Roberts said. "But as far as his swing mechanics, where he’s at, he’s on balance, he’s 100% in the box.”

The Padres did not see Ohtani the pitcher in their series last week in San Diego.

The Friars lost that series in front of their home fans, dropping the final two games of that three-game series.

They lost those final two games by giving up a total of 19 runs, with 15 of them coming on Saturday.

The Padres are currently in the midst of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. They dropped the first of three on Monday, 3-2.

Where do the Padres Stand Ahead of the All-Star Break?

Prior to their contest on Tuesday against the Cubs, the Padres are currently 11 games back of the Dodgers for the top spot in the National League West.

They sit with a 43-40 record and are on a three-game losing streak.

As for their outlook in the wild-card race, the Friars are just on the outside looking in.

They are one game back from the final spot on the final day of June. The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals are ahead of the Padres for the third spot. The Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies currently hold the top two spots.

The Padres have a long way to go if they want any shot at catching up to the Dodgers for the division. This weekend's four-game series with the Dodgers could prove pivotal to those chances.

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